Melissa Bradshaw

Fulham Opera stages first production of Die Meistersinger Von Nürnberg

10:42, 13th March 2019

Fulham Opera is to stage its most ambitious project to date in central London this August: four performances of Wagner’s DieMeistersinger von Nürnberg.

Die Meistersinger, one of the biggest works in opera repertoire, will be performed in a new production directed by Paul Higgins and conducted by Ben Woodward, artistic director of Fulham Opera, from 9 – 17 August 2019 at London’s Greenwood Theatre. The production features a specially commissioned new orchestral arrangement by Jonathan Finney, for 18 instruments.

Its cast includes a welcome return from bass baritone Keel Watson (pictured as The Dutchman in 2015’s Der fliegende Holländer), who is double cast with Steven Fredericks in the role of Hans Sachs. Tenors Ronald Samm and Florian Thomas share the role of Walther von Stolzing, and sopranos Catharine Woodward and Philippa Boyle share the role of Eva.

Regarded as a leading light in London’s ‘fringe’ opera scene, Fulham Opera has developed a strong reputation for its performances of Wagner, and Die Meistersinger will be its sixth Wagner opera since the company began in 2011. The project brings Fulham Opera to perform in central London for the first time, and with a cast and chorus of 57 singers, also marks the first time the company will have performed in a full-sized theatre.

Higgins says: ‘There are so many strands to this opera, such elitism versus populism, old versus the young, those who belong and those who do not, and a community jealously guarding its independence and becoming more inward-looking than they had been before. Today we are witnessing a rise in nationalism across the world, and in particular Europe, and in the UK we have Brexit. In 2019 the issues raised in Die Meistersinger seem even more relevant today.’